1. Field of the Invention
Stabilization or suspension systems for vehicle wheels, particularly, hydraulic damping systems wherein a misaligning move of the wheel axle at one end induces a corresponding correcting move of the wheel axle on the other end.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following references have been selected:
BLANKENHEIM; U.S. Pat. No. 896,078
MISTRAL; U.S. Pat. No. 2,253,190
WEBER; U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,566
ENKE; U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,497
NICHOLLS; U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,710
Blandenheim discloses a motorcycle having a rear wheel axle 32 with a pistonlike member 34 positioned at both sides (or ends) of the axle and extending upwardly and downwardly from the axle. The ends of pistion member 34 (35, 36) are mounted in tubes 18 and 28 and bear against springs 20, 31.
Mistral (FIG. 5) reveals a vehicle suspension system employing a pair of double acting hydraulic cylinders. The arrangement is such that fluid communication exists between the top of one cylinder and the bottom of the other, such as by conduits 80, 82. Conduits 78, 81 complete the cross conduit arrangement.
Weber shows a suspension system (FIG. 2) employing two hydraulic cylinders 34 and a double acting piston 36 mounted in each cylinder. Fluid communication exits between the top of one cylinder and the botton of the other cylinder, such as by conduit 66. Further conduit 68 curves communication between the top of the other cylinder and the bottom of the one cylinder.
Enke (assigned to Daimler-Benz) sets forth a suspension system for a vehicle utilizing two double acting hydraulic cylinders (10a, 10b) with pistons 12a and 12b mounted therein. Upon tilting of the vehicle, the hydraulic fluid in chamber 22a (on top of piston 12a) is urged to flow to chamber 24b to bottom of piston 12b to exert a counterbalancing force via conduit 44. A similar arrangement exists with relation to conduit 42.
Nicholls relates to a motorcycle having a suspension system including a ram 1 on either side of the rear wheel of the cycle (FIG. 1). The rams 1 are of the pneumatic type with a conduit 2 placing the top of the rams in fluid communication.
The prior art devices have employed mechanical linkage or hydraulic systems for suspending a pair of automobile wheels but have not suggested a system which could be applied to a single wheel of the vehicle and which could operate independently to align the single wheel with the vehicle frame. Further, it is submitted that the prior art is devoid of any suggestion of employing a first pair of an upright hydraulic cylinder and an inverted hydraulic cylinder on one end of the wheel axle and a second pair of upright and inverted hydraulic cylinders on the other end of the wheel axle with interconnecting hydraulic transmission lines such that a misalignment on one end of the axle induces a corresponding correcting movement on the other end.